


like dying trees, age bites

by pecknxck



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, Eggs, Emotional Baggage, Fear of Death, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, OC X CANON, they're raising eggs. they're birds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:13:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23447566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pecknxck/pseuds/pecknxck
Summary: by @pecknxck on tumblr.The Conductor slowly begins to realize that he may not be able to live to see his three unhatched kids eventually leave home. This fear spreads throughout the household.
Relationships: DJ Grooves (A Hat in Time)/Talon Wrenstaquer (OC), The Conductor (A Hat in Time)/DJ Grooves (A Hat in Time)/Talon Wrenstaquer (OC), The Conductor (A Hat in Time)/Talon Wrenstaquer (OC), The Conductor/DJ Grooves (A Hat in Time)
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

Talon stirred as he heard the front door swing open, being caught before he could hear it slam into the wall. His feathers pricked as he sat up, holding his head, groggy from just waking up. He looked out the open bedroom door to see the Conductor, having just gotten home, putting his work materials aside. 

He dropped his suitcase on the dinner table with a loud, exaggerated groan. The short owl immediately made his way to the fridge, mumbling about how he needed a drink. Talon could hear him take out one of the emptier whiskey bottles he kept in there, at the same time grabbing what sounded like a shot glass. 

He poured a few drinks, knocking them back quickly. He pushed the glassware aside on the counter to clean later, and he absently scratched the back of his head as he headed toward the bedroom, undoing his tie as he entered. 

His feathers ruffled when he saw Talon. "Ah- Laddie-" He seemed to stumble to find an explanation for being home so late, as if it was something to be ashamed of.

Talon had by now pulled his legs to his chest, resting his head on his knees. "Long night?"

The Conductor sighed, his shoulders falling as he unbuttoned the same dress shirt he'd been wearing all week. He'd taken the suit off much earlier. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be back sooner… Things got chaotic, and it was just too much."

Talon nodded in understanding, patting the empty space next to him on the bed, inviting the stocky bird over. He obliged, snuggling up to the scrawny crowl, taking his hand. Talon rested his head atop the Conductor's, carefully preening his feathers.

"Are you  _ sure _ yer alright, cupcake? I know this kinda stuff can throw you out of whack sometimes-"

The Conductor was cut off by Talon giving him a kiss on the cheek, embracing him. "At least you're here now, right?"

The Conductor softened, leaning into the other's touch. "Guess so." 

Talon smiled, and the Conductor did the same in turn. The taller bird stroked the side of his face before speaking. "Go change. I'm not letting you sleep in dress pants again."

The Conductor laughed softly, getting up. "Alright, alright, ye got me." He stretched and headed over to the closet, stealing a glance at Talon snuggling back under the covers. He felt his face tingle with warmth, and his expression crept into one soft, lovestruck, and calm. 

Then he remembered he had to get changed. 

Shaking himself back to reality, he tossed his shirt and ditched the dress pants in favor of pajama bottoms. Train print, because at this point, he's too old to really care.

He turned and went back to bed, worming his way under the blankets and spooning his partner, resting his head in the crook of Talon's neck. Talon's feathers ruffled as he rested his beak atop the Conductor's. "Hi, handsome."

The stout owl shot back with his own compliment. "I don't know why yer talking to yourself allava sudden."

Talon lightly cycled a leg (his most common stim when something made him happy) and rolled over, so he and his lover were face to face. "You look like you haven't seen the sun in years."

"In this city? I probably haven't."

"Mm, yeah, this place is pretty dreary."

"That's an understatement." He traced the edges of Talon's beak. Age was wearing on him like the ocean on a stone beach; the deep violet of his beak was pockmarked with barely noticeable dents and scrapes, though deep enough that the Conductor could get a claw caught in the grooves. It felt like he spent an hour just appreciating them before he completed his thought. "It's more depressing just living here than watching old Grooves lose another award to me."

Talon stifled a laugh. "Aw, c'mon, be nice… he's on that work trip for you, y'know. It was your movie idea." Absently, he smoothed down the feathers on the Conductor's neck. 

The owl blushed lightly, trying to hide it by turning his head away. His voice cracked slightly when he spoke, flustered. "Doesn't excuse him being away  _ this _ long." He huffed. 

"I don't complain when you're away, do I?"

"No, you cry."

"Yeah, see? I don't complain." Talon smirked.

"Smartass." The Conductor grumbled, curling up into Talon's chest as the taller bird embraced him again. He pulled the blanket over the two, and sleep soon took them.


	2. Chapter 2

The Conductor awoke with Talon's head in the crook of his neck. The other bird was still fast asleep, holding him tightly still. He shifted, but his husband clung to him. 

He wasn't gonna get out of this easily.

The Conductor quietly groaned as he slowly tried to wriggle out of the other bird's grip, and after about fifteen minutes, he was free. He got to his feet on the other side of the bed, sighing in relief.

He leaned over and gave Talon a kiss on the forehead, smoothing down his head feathers. "Morning, love…" He muttered to the sleeping crowl, before he went to go get dressed.

He wasn't going to work today, so he decided to steal one of Talon's shirts; a washed out Elton Swan tee. He'd gone to a concert once, and the singer himself had thrown a stray shirt at the bird. The Conductor and Grooves were like, the only people Talon trusted with that shirt.

Wearing it made the owl feel all nice and fuzzy inside. Smiling stupidly, he went to go make breakfast, but his gaze was caught by something on the dining room table.

The incubator.

Three eggs, bundled in a blanket nest beneath a jury-rigged heat lamp. They'd been sitting there for a few weeks now, and no one knew when they were gonna hatch. Not even the Conductor knew, and he was the expert.

He shook his head with a sigh. "They'll be fine," He muttered to himself as he dug around in the fridge for something to cook. With all the ingredients available, he decided to make french toast. Yawning, he cut up the bread, threw it in the pan, added this and that. He didn't even notice Talon walking over and sliding his wings around the manlet in a gentle hug. 

"Mmmmorning…" Talon mumbled into the Conductor's shoulder. "Issat my shirt…?"

The Conductor nodded, focusing on the food.

Talon giggled lightly, blushing softly as he nuzzled his face further into the other's shoulder. "Oh, Condy…"

The Conductor tilted his head to give him a little kiss on the beak. Morning Talon was a sappy mess, and it was always welcomed. "Did you sleep alright, cupcake?" He asked, finishing up the breakfast.

Talon smiled a little, nodding. "That conversation last night helped. Your voice is real comforting…" 

The Conductor felt his face heat up. He was different in the mornings, too; more prone to being flustered. He could feel his feathers fluffing up, until Talon's cool hand slicked them down again. The Conductor gasped, collecting himself. "Th- thanks, cupcake."

Talon rested his head atop the Conductor's, cooing quietly as he moved his arms from the shorter owl's sides to loosely wrapped around the base of his neck. "Love youuuu."

The Conductor turned, back now against the countertop. Gently, he held the sides of Talon's face. That familiar warmth returned. "Love ye too…"

Slowly, they pulled each other ever closer…

… and kissed, in the warm sunlight of the morning cutting through the dreary city, and into the small kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

The breakfast was great. Hard to chew, but that was mostly because Talon didn't have any sort of decent way to chew at all. As he cleaned up the dishes, he decided to make light conversation.

"So, how was work yesterday?" An innocent question, or so he thought.

The Conductor flinched a bit, noticeably. "It's… a garbage fire." He sighed, holding his head. "They keep going through new scripts. Producers don't like what I can come up with... doesn't make money, according to them."

"What was your planned script?"

"Another western, but focused on the relationship between these two particular lads. They're vagabonds who only have themselves, and the original plan was that they'd end up involved with one another." The Conductor put his head in his hands with a groan. "They said it wasn't marketable, that I should stick to trains."

"Cond…" Talon turned, worried.

"I'm alright, okay? Just… don't worry about it, lad-" 

"I can't just not worry about it when you're so disturbed by it…" Talon finished putting the dishes away before he walked over. He pulled up a chair and sat down beside the old bird, a reassuring hand on his tense shoulder. 

The Conductor heavily sighed once more, leaning into his touch. "Thanks for caring so much, love. Really, it's nice tae be worried about, sometimes."

Talon gave him a smooch on the forehead. "Anytime."

They snuggled for a while, before the front door opened. They turned to look. 

Lo and behold, in the doorway, stood DJ Grooves himself, shoulders sagging in their sockets as he put down all his luggage. "I'm home-"

He didn't manage to finish his sentence before the Conductor scrabbled out of his chair and ran over, throwing his arms around the penguin in a tight hug, face buried into his chest. "You peck neck! Ye said it'd only be a few weeks, not a month and a half!" He laughed airily as he spoke, glad to finally see him back.

Grooves hugged him back, tighter, chuckling. "I'm sorry for that, darling. The weather didn't agree with our filming dates, so… ah, a lot of things got delayed." 

"Why didn't ye just shoot in a studio?!"

"As you'd say, 'in the name of cinematography'." Grooves smirked. 

The Conductor's feathers fluffed up as he blushed. "Stop being such a sweet talker, Grooves." 

"Can't help it, darling." He kissed the shorter owl on the beak, before turning his attention to Talon, surprised at how reserved the crowl looked. He walked over, worried. "Oh, songbird…" 

Talon quickly hugged him tight, lifting him into the air for about two seconds before his back gave out with a  _ crack _ , and he had to put the penguin back down. He laughed quietly, still hugging Grooves. "I missed you so much…"

Grooves hugged him back, blushing slightly. “I missed you too, love. How have you been holding up? The little darlings,” He motioned to the eggs in the incubator. “Are they still faring well?”

Talon nodded. “They haven’t changed much, so probably. But!” Talon straightened his back, and it snapped back into its proper place. “We need to celebrate your return! Lemme go fetch you two some  _ drinks! _ ” With that, the tall twink padded over to the fridge.

Grooves smiled warmly. “Always a housewarmer.”


	4. Chapter 4

They ended up passed out in bed, empty liquor bottles lining the floor and all over the bedside table. Grooves was still a bit woozy when he woke up, head hurting from all the drinking. He moved an arm to hold his aching cranium, when he noticed it was sandwiched under something. Rolling over to one side, he was met with Talon curled up around him, holding Grooves close as he slept.

Smiling warmly, the penguin slid his arms around Talon, gently pressing his beak to his with a warm smile. He could feel the crowl's feathers pricking as he moved, indicating that he was probably waking up. With a yawn, Talon awoke, lightly kissed Grooves on the beak, and nestled his head into the crook of his neck. "Morning…" He mumbled into the other's feathers.

Grooves rested his head atop Talon's, moving his hand to run through the bird's plumage a few times. "Good morning, darling."

Talon cooed quietly as he pulled his partner tighter to his chest. "You're warm…" He raised his head, pressing his beak to Grooves'. "Handsome, too."

Grooves cupped Talon's face with a half lidded smile. "You flatter me, songbird."

"You know it's true…" Talon giggled lightly, before he noticed a rustling beside him, and he rolled his head over to see.

The Conductor was sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his… face. He glanced over with a yawn. "Glad to see both of ye are comfortable at home again."

Grooves sat up as well, leaning his weight on his arm. "Have I ever told you how  _ stunning _ you look in the mornings, darling?"

The Conductor chuckled. "I'm usually outta bed by th' time you wake up," He stretched. "Did you miss me, peck neck?"

Grooves nodded. "How could I ever not miss that face, that rugged voice?"

"Ye sap." The Conductor playfully shoved Grooves' shoulder, and all three of the birds laughed heartily. 

Once the laughter died down, The Conductor got up and off the bed, heading off to the kitchen to make some grub, leaving the others in the bedroom. He knew they'd soon follow. 

Something felt off as he wandered down the hallway, dragging his claws along the defined grooves in the crumbling apartment wall. They had to move out of this place soon, it was practically breaking down. No place to raise children, that's for sure.

The old owl slowed his pace as he thought. Would he even be able to be a proper parent at this age? He was sixty-five, going on sixty-six. He held his head with a groan as he leaned on the doorway. Would his biggest fear be realized?

Would he be gone by the time these new kids left home?

He wasn't getting any younger. None of them were. What if he was the last to go? He'd have to live through both his husband's-

"Stanley?"

Grooves' voice broke through his sulking like a scythe cutting down wheat. The Conductor stiffened, not quite used to being referred to by name. He never would be.

He turned his head with a sigh, his shoulders falling as he relaxed, still tense. 

The penguin approached, putting a hand on the Conductor's shoulder as quiet reassurance. "Do you-"

The owl shook his head. "I'm fine, Grooves. Just…"

"Are you really?" He pressed the question, worried. "Darling, if something's bothering you…"

The Conductor was quiet for a moment. "Ye just can't let this go, can you?"

Grooves sighed. "Darling, being difficult won't help anyone."

There was a weak silence for a moment, as the Conductor's beak shook while he stammered to find words that wouldn't make him sound neurotic. Weak. He couldn't show weakness. He was always the breadwinner, the star, the one who was unphased through it all. He couldn't  _ possibly  _ let that wall down.

He never would, he decided.

His voice cracked briefly as he hid his face. "We're- we're getting old. Too old."

"Too old for what, dear?" Grooves tilted his head, still worried, though he gave the other his space.

The Conductor sighed quietly. "Too old for… all of this. The kids, the acting…" He choked up. "What- what if one day we don't bounce back? What if age takes us all before we can see things through? What then, Grooves? What then?"

Grooves looked at the floor. "I… I don't know, love. But…" He took a deep breath. "Rest assured, whatever happens… we'll make it out alive, like we have again and again." 

The Conductor quickly nodded, as if he was struggling to believe it. "Ye- yeah. I… okay."

Grooves didn't react immediately, as if he was waiting for the Conductor to say more. When the owl just withdrew with yet another sigh, Grooves patted him on the shoulder. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me, darling." Halfway to the fridge, he paused and turned. "I love you, you know."

The Conductor shakily raised his head, looking over. Saying nothing, he sulked over and threw his arms around the penguin, hugging him tight as he buried as much of his face as he could into his partner's chest. 

"I- I know."


	5. Chapter 5

Grooves gave the Conductor some space after that. He definitely needed it, if he ever wanted to work out his emotions in a timely manner. Before beginning to return down the hall, he looked back at the Conductor, worried, before his gaze panned to the incubator. Sure, he liked to remain optimistic, but… it couldn’t be denied that they  _ were  _ getting a tad old. He didn’t like to think about it. 

So he wouldn’t.

Sighing quietly, he walked over to the bunch of eggs. A triad, speckled in spots of lavender, blue and yellow. A good mix of all of them. They were in that nice little space between warm and burning hot; enough that touching them for too long would scald, but not enough to boil whatever was inside. They should hatch eventually, he thought. He hoped. All the talk about age, about maybe being at the end of their ropes, was getting to him. At least, he hoped, the kids would be able to live full lives, right? Sure, their fathers may bite the bullet halfway through, but-

He couldn’t finish the thought. He felt like he was gonna be sick if he did. 

He managed to force a smile as he muttered. “You’ll see us soon, little darlings.” The idea that, maybe, they heard that, calmed him somewhat. He turned and started back down the hall, to the bedroom.

Talon lay there on the bed, playing Snake on his flip phone, bundled in lazily tossed blankets. He paused his session and turned his head when Grooves entered. “Hey.” He greeted, casually. “I thought you were going to help out with breakfast.”

Grooves shook his head as he sat on the bed. “Stanley’s on it, now. He… he needed some time to himself.” 

Talon sat up, shuffling closer to his partner before just draping himself on the other. “Something happen?”

Grooves snuggled him closer to his chest, and he sighed. “No, no, it’s just… he’s thinking about the future, darling. Our future.”

The crowl nestled his head into the crook of Grooves’ neck, tracing circles in his chest feathers. “How so?”

The penguin rested his head atop Talon’s. “He’s worrying that… that we’re getting too old to start a new family.” Before the other bird could squawk in concern, Grooves stroked his cheek. “We aren’t, we aren’t, by any means, darling. It’s just that he thinks… since we’re all nearing or in our mid sixties, that we might not be around by the time the little birds leave home.”

Talon only mumbled quietly in response. Grooves ran a hand over his beak comfortingly. “I know, songbird, it’s scary to think about, but… it’s something we _ have  _ to think about, at one point or another.” 

The lanky bird raised his head. “I don’t want now to be one of those points, Don.” He proceeded to nuzzle headfirst into the other’s chest, his feathers pricking with worry. “I know, th- that we need to address it, but- can’t we just… wait until they hatch, before we start getting existential?” 

Grooves held him tight, kissing him on the forehead as he reclined. “We can try, darling. We can try.” He smoothed down Talon’s feathers.

“Can we just stay in this illusion a little longer? It… it doesn’t  _ feel  _ like I’m- like we’re  _ that  _ old. And- and if we can, I want it to stay like that…”

“I know, love, I know…”

They held each other in silence for a while, just shifting comfortably in each other’s embraces in an attempt to calm their complex feelings. Talon tried to change the subject, trying to ease his worries. “I- I found a nice little house.” He cleared his throat. “It- it’s in the woods. Real… real big backyard. A whole forest.” 

Grooves nodded. “You did, huh?”

Talon relaxed his tensed shoulders, and his husband used it as an opportunity to pull him closer. Big hug. Talon melted into it. “Yeah… ‘s real cheap, too… We could set aside some money, get a bid on it… “

“Would you like that?” Grooves asked. He knew the answer, but he also knew that entertaining this simple conversation would calm them both down. 

Talon nodded. “I’d like it- I’d like it a whole lot.”

Grooves pressed his beak to Talon’s. “Maybe we could set up that grill. You know, darling, the one that Stanley always tried to find a use for. The kids would love it.”

“They… they would, yeah. I bet.” Talon laughed quietly. “We could all finally get outside for once…”

Grooves smiled a little, eyes half lidded. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen outdoors that aren’t all hard concrete.”

“We really need a change of scenery, don’t we…?” Talon’s speech slowed as he combed a claw through the light blue feathers on the underside of his partner’s chin. They were nice and soft, like the rest of him.

"Sure do, darling. This city just doesn't fit us at all." Lightly, Grooves preened Talon's feathers, now holding him by the sides.

Talon smirked. "Grey really isn't your color."

"Definitely." 

They just stayed the way they were for a moment. Grooves had lifted his head, and the two were just… looking at each other, calmly, waiting for someone to make a move. Talon's hands rested on his legs, folded under him, while Grooves held his torso. It wasn't the typical awkward silence that it would have been if it were anyone else there; it was tender, intimate.

Talon tilted his head, now with a warm smile stretching across his beak. "You're handsome."

Grooves leaned forward, his beak tapping against Talon's. "I'd argue you're the handsome one, darling."

Talon looped his arms around Grooves' neck, draping them like a loose scarf. "As if."

"I may not be able to convince you of that, but there's one thing you might be able to believe."

"And what would that be, Donnie?"

"Out of both of us…" His voice hushed to a whisper as he leaned further forward, and Talon reclined in turn. They were real close now; beak to beak, practically chest to chest.

"You're the better kisser."

Cue tender kiss.

Though, it was soon interrupted by the Conductor pushing open the door with his back; in his hands was a large tray with various breakfast foodstuffs. "Hope I'm not interrupting-"

Talon lit up. Grooves just smiled at the short owl. "If anything, you're improving everything right now, love." The Conductor approached the bed, and Grooves met him halfway, taking the tray and placing it on the bedside table. "You didn't have to do all of that, you know… you could have just beckoned."

The Conductor huffed. "You know me, Grooves. If I 'beckoned', the whole apartment would come crashing down." He hopped up on the bed. "Besides; it's been a hard morning. It wouldnae hurt to take a mental health day, would it?" 

Talon chimed in. "Great idea. We all need some time off, especially with the whole… future thing." 

The Conductor nodded, leaning back into the crowl's lap. Grooves also added to the conversation. "Resting up after all of this weekend's stress seems pretty enticing." He pulled the breakfast tray back over, putting it on the bed. 

Banana oat pancakes, scarfed down in about ten minutes. The Conductor made light conversation with the two throughout, mostly about trains and film. It was nice, certainly better than talking about death. Though, something pried in the back of Talon's mind. He excused himself, heading down to the dining table once more, where the incubator had been set up.

He pulled out a chair and sat before it, resting his head on the mahogany. He tapped a claw against the eggshells, sighing deeply. He  _ made _ these little guys, and he might not even be able to see them grow up. It scared him. Death scared him. 

He didn't wanna die. He finally had a family, a life, a reason to keep going; and he could have it all taken from him in only a few years. He didn't feel  _ that _ old. Was it because he only started  _ living _ at 30? Was that what caused this weird disconnect?

He was broken from his thoughts when he heard movement.

One of the eggs was rustling the nest, shaking on its own. Talon quickly got up, knocking his chair over. As the egg shook and cracked, he darted back into the bedroom, dragging Grooves by the hand and picking the Conductor up by the scruff as he returned to the incubator. 

By the time they got back, in place of the egg was a small chick. A light orange beak, banded with two blue stripes. Its feathers were a dull black, with the undersides a deeper shade of orange, near a funky brown. Its fan of tail feathers was as dark as the rest of its body, though with another set of two blue stripes spanning across it. The newborn bird blinked, looking around curiously.

Mouth agape, Talon ended up dropping the Conductor to the floor, but the owl quickly got up and darted over to the child. Grooves calmly followed, his composure kept despite something obviously gnawing at him.

They were parents, now. Their family had finally begun.

The child ended up being named Corone; thought up on the spot by Talon. For the three, the hatching was a double edged sword. Sure, they now knew that the eggs would hatch, and that there was nothing wrong with them, but they were now painfully reminded of the future barreling towards them.

Death scared them.


	6. Chapter 6

A week later, they’d crushed those fears, hiding them under responsibility as they adjusted to having to care for a child. Couldn’t worry about the future while the present was before them. They’d set up a little system; whoever woke up first checked on the kiddo, made sure they were doing alright, and cooked breakfast. The usual. 

Today, Talon woke up first. 

The Conductor jerked awake, looking around in a cold sweat, mumbling intelligibly. Grooves gently gripped his shoulder, easing him back into lying down. “That’s one way to wake up…” He yawned. “Did you have a nightmare, darling?”

Shaking his head, the Conductor sighed. “No, no, ‘s just… anxiety about the little one, again…” He held his forehead as a migraine took root. "I'm not usually like this."

Grooves nodded sympathetically. "I know, darling. You must have been thrown out of whack by…" He cleared his throat. "All that, earlier." He slowly combed a hand through the Conductor's coarse, golden feathers. The owl softens, his tense shoulders relaxing at the touch. 

He doesn't object when the other's arms wrap around his waist, holding him in a soft embrace. He only lets himself go limp with an exhale as Grooves nestles his head in the space between the Conductor's neck and shoulder. He speaks quietly, as if a decibel too loud would make everything collapse. "It's getting to you, isn't it?"

Hesitantly, the Conductor nods.

"Dear…" Grooves moves a hand to stroke his cheek, gently. The Conductor's feathers ruffle unnoticeably, as he curls up further into Grooves' embrace. He's comfortable here, in his arms.

The Conductor's only response is a mumble. "I know." He pulls Grooves' hand into his, holding it to his chest as he leans back. "I know, I know, I still have the rest of me years, but…" He groans, covering his beak with his hands. "It doesn't feel- it's not-" 

His breath hitches, and he coughs. Grooves calmly reassures him. "Take your time."

The Conductor sighs once more. "It feels so short." He takes his hands off his beak, gripping his arms. “What was a lifetime to wait 30 years ago just feels like three months. Time goes by so fast, and… I don’t know if I can keep up.”

Grooves nods in understanding. “In the grand scheme of things, darling, it  _ does  _ feel like a short while, at least to us. Yet… to everyone else… a year is still a year. It has the same impact as a lifetime the younger they are, and with the little one just having hatched not too long ago…” He smiled, weakly. He couldn’t keep up either, it seemed, though he was better at hiding it. “Know that, even if we do go- go earlier than anticipated… we’ll still have that impact.” He chuckled sheepishly. “Am I making any sense, love?”

The Conductor nodded slowly, as if processing all of what he just said. Grooves sighed in relief, as he snuggled the owl a bit tighter to his chest. “We need to get out of this city. It’s wracking my brain with nerves.”

“You, too?” The Conductor turned his head. “It’s getting tae all of us, it seems.”

“Talon mentioned that he’d found a house, in the woods. We could look into moving…” Grooves suggested. “Certainly better than the dreary concrete jungle out here.”

Nodding in agreement, the Conductor added on. “Better that the kids be raised somewhere less… congested.” His feathers pricked as an idea came into his head. “If the woods don’t work out, we could move them into me old home! It’s probably a bit, eh…  _ rustic _ at this point, but nothing some renovations can’t fix.”

“And if  _ that  _ doesn’t work in our favor,” Grooves smirked. “the moon’s always an option.”

The Conductor raised a faux concern, stifling his laughter. “All those bright lights? They’ll hurt the eyes of those lil’ blighters!”

Grooves couldn’t help but laugh a bit himself. “Assuming they even  _ have  _ eyes.”

The Conductor paused for a moment. “...You have a point.”


	7. Chapter 7

Later that day, they elected to check out that house in the woods Talon had mentioned. In preparation, they'd got one of those baby carriers one straps to their chest; though on the back were pockets for holding unhatched eggs. Perfect. 

The Conductor insisted on wearing it, yet also insisted that he should drive the hour long road down to the wooded home. Talon and Grooves both knew that was a horrible idea, so the Conductor ended up babysitting little chick Corone in the backseat of Talon's beat up old station wagon, while Grooves took the wheel. 

Halfway through the trip, Corone managed to wiggle their way out of the carrier, and the Conductor was too tiredly clumsy to grab them before they could perch on the back of the passenger seat. The owl, having not buckled any kind of seatbelt, ended up falling onto the floor of the car in his endeavour. 

Talon broke into crackled laughter as he took the young child off the back of his seat, and placed them in his lap. "Wow, I thought you were the one who's s'posed to be good with kids." He joked, turning to the Conductor.

"I am!" He insisted, getting back up into his seat. "The wee chick just wants to explore, is all. Mind you, they took me down with them, but-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence as he, along with everyone else, broke into laughter.

Grooves glanced back. "Adventurous lil' one, are they? Having somewhere more open ended to grow up would certainly help them, I'm sure."

Talon nodded in agreement as he tried to get Corone to stop eating the seatbelt. 

"How much is the place going for?" The Conductor asked, actually strapping himself in for once. Can't risk breaking the eggs.

"Thirty grand, if I remember correctly." Talon responded. Both of the other birds looked at him in shock.

" _ Only  _ thirty? Don't you think that's a bit  _ suspiciously  _ cheap, darling?" Grooves' voice cracked. He was a bit worried, now.

"I'm with Grooves here; thirty thousand is far too low for a house, especially one in the  _ woods!  _ Who's tae say it won't just collapse in on our heads?!" 

Talon would have blinked if he had eyes. "I thought thirty thousand was a lot…"

"That explains it." Grooves sighed, somewhat in relief. "Talon, darling, I keep telling you-"

Talon would have also rolled his eyes, if he had eyes. "I know, I know, I gotta finish that last home economics class, learn th' value of money and all, but it's their fault for hosting them when I'm at work!" He slumped back in his seat with a huff. By now, Corone had crawled off his shoulders, and into Grooves' hair. 

Soon enough, the car pulled up to the home; a shoddy little cabin, covered in moss and vines. The outside was worn yellow paneling, starting to break away at the top. The roof was tiled navy mahogany; chunks of it were torn off. 

Talon got out of the station wagon, scratching his head. "Now I get what you guys meant."

The Conductor cringed when he saw the state of the place. "Christ. That explains the price…"

Grooves was quiet as he walked to where the two stood, as he was preoccupied with getting the toddler out of his afro. When he, too, laid eyes on the house, he flinched. "Oh, that's…"

His optimism was gone, so the Conductor, with a huff, took it upon himself to provide. "It's, eh, a fixer-upper, but it's nothing we can't fix, right, lads?" He looked back to the others for confirmation, trying to see if he helped any.

Talon smiled and nodded, clasping his hands. " Maybe, uh, we could make the vines an' all into some hanging baskets." He suggested.

Grooves had given up trying to wrangle Corone, but he seemed on board. "Great idea, darling! We could maybe use some of the wood from the surrounding forest to patch up the roof…" He put a hand to his chin in thought. 

The Conductor felt a tinge of warmth in his chest. Hm. Maybe Grooves was right on the whole optimism thing. 

Just maybe.

He threw his arms around the two with a smirk, discussing ideas on home improvement as he led them inside.

**Author's Note:**

> comments very much appreciated


End file.
